El presente trabajo de fin de máster tiene por objetivo ofrecer un análisis del impacto en los precios de los medicamentos a partir del cambio en la financiación de los medicamentos en España derivados de la introducción del RDL 16/2012, también conocido como el ‘medicamentazo’. Además se ofrecerá una perspectiva de los retos futuros y cambios en el entorno de competencia para la industria farmacéutica, así como las diferentes estrategias adoptadas por los laboratorios en el acceso al mercado.

The central system for generating genetic diversity and protecting the genomic integrity of replicating cells, from bacteria to humans, involves the homologous recombination (HR) machinery. It involves the process of exchange of molecules between DNA strands using the homology sequences. Because these machineries are highly efficient and precise it has become a useful analytical tool for the bacterial geneticists, thus, the engineering recombinant DNA molecules by homologous recombination, method called recombineering, is functional for sequence deletions, substitutions, or insertions. Under some conditions, the phage-mediated recombination system can be provided in E. coli by the ? phage Red enzymes, Red? and Red?. It involves a processive 5’ to 3’ exonuclease or a member of helicase family, namely Red?, which generates single stranded DNA (ssDNA) regions that are substrates for the single strand annealing protein (SSAP), i. e. Red?, which promotes joining of the DNA molecules by joining the recently replicated complementary sequences. The motivation of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the physical and functional coupling of the two enzymes Red? and Red?, as well as understanding the influence of including the DNA into the reaction, which acts as the substrate. Consequently, the experiments were designed and performed incorporating in vitro techniques not only for finding protein-protein interactions, such as co-immunoprecipitations and size exclusion chromatography, but also for analyzing the exonuclease activity of Red?. Also, the interaction of DNA with Red enzymes by means of the mobility shift assays was evaluated. In parallel, in vivo tests were made with the objective of defining the stoichiometry of the intracellular concentrations of both proteins during the co-expression in E. coli. In order to reveal more about the physical coupling of Red system’s components the preliminary data of a fluorescence correlation spectroscopy assay is described with the aim of determining whether the presence of Red? has an effect on Red?’s dwell-time on its substrate.

Pregnancy during adolescence is a worldwide public health concern. In developing countries, 14 million adolescents give birth each year, which accounts for 90% of all worldwide pregnancies. The proportion of adolescent women aged 10-19 whom have been pregnant in Mitú, Colombia is of approximately 25%, in comparison to 19.5% at the national level. This report aims to review the effectiveness and identifying best practice of adolescent pregnancy interventions in low and middle income countries and use formative research to make specific recommendations for policy and practice to prevent adolescent pregnancy in Mitú, Colombia. EMBASE, Medline, CINHAL, Cochrane library, GLOBAL HEALTH, ADOLEC, Popline, LILACS and REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LIBRARY were searched to identify studies examining adolescent pregnancy prevention interventions in developing countries. GOOGLE was searched to identify grey literature. Five semi-structured interviews were also conducted with key service providers in the field of Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in Mitú to explore the needs of the region in regards to adolescent pregnancy prevention and the barriers and facilitators for programme implementation. The literature review found that adolescent pregnancy prevention interventions in developing countries had a positive impact on the knowledge of pregnancy prevention and may contribute to the delay of sexual initiation. However, impact on the use of contraceptive methods and reduction of adolescent pregnancy inconclusive. Interviews revealed key societal, familial and individual factors that were viewed to be linked to adolescent pregnancy in Mitú. Relationships between military personnel and young women appeared to be an important factor in high teenage pregnancy rates. Barriers for the adequate implementation and continuation of programmes included lack of political commitment, lack of financial, human and material resources and lack of inter-institutional collaboration, the high rate of staff turnover and the lack of monitoring programmes. Only few facilitators were mentioned that consisted mainly in the willing of both adolescent and military to collaborate in the implementation of adolescent pregnancy prevention interventions. In conclusion, evidence suggests that adolescent pregnancy prevention strategies are effective in increasing knowledge of pregnancy and might delay sexual initiation in low and middle-income countries. Features of effective programmes were identified and discussed and are important in designing and developing new strategies. However, cultural, environmental and social barriers need to be addressed through political commitment and inter-institutional collaboration in order to develop effective interventions for pregnancy prevention in Mitú.

El tema de este trabajo es el estudio de la época de la Violencia en Colombia (1946-1964) a través del cine que representa este periodo histórico, planteando de antemano una reflexión alrededor de la capacidad del cine para interpretar el pasado y sobre lo que este puede aportar en la discusión histórica, en este caso sobre el fenómeno de la Violencia. El texto está dividido en tres capítulos. En el primer capítulo expongo el debate que existe alrededor del cine y la historia, haciendo un recuento de los debates que se han generado alrededor de este tema y cómo ha evolucionado la cuestión hasta nuestros días. En el segundo capítulo y siguiendo una línea más académica, hago un recuento histórico de la época de la Violencia en Colombia, para ubicar al lector en el contexto y poder analizar las películas con un criterio basado en los textos académicos que se han escrito sobre el periodo. En el tercer capítulo analizo tres películas realizadas en épocas diferentes que tratan el fenómeno de la Violencia desde varias perspectivas, las películas son: El Río de las Tumbas de Julio Luzardo (1964), Cóndores no entierran todos los días de Francisco Norden (1984) y La Sargento Matacho de Wiliam González (2015). The theme of this work is the analysis of the era of La Violencia in Colombia (1946-1964) through cinema which explores this historical period, proposing beforehand a reflection about the capacity of cinema to interpret the past and how it can contribute to the historical discussion, in this case; the phenomenon of La Violencia. The text is divided into three chapters. In the first chapter I present the debate that exists around cinema and history, recounting the debates that have been generated around this topic and how the issue has evolved to the present day. In the second chapter and following a more academic line, I make a historical account of the era of La Violencia in Colombia, to locate the reader in the context and to be able to analyze the films with a criteria based on the academic texts that have been written on the period. In the third chapter I analyze three films made at different times dealing with the phenomenon of La Violencia from various perspectives, the films are: The River of the Tombs of Julio Luzardo (1964), Condors do not bury all the days of Francisco Norden (1984) and La Sargento Matacho by Wiliam González (2015).

Abstract: This survey gathered information about the transportation modal choices, among Politecnico di Milano university population (n=9,763 students, n=2,185 staff members). The main tool used for this stage was Geographical Information System Software (GIS) that allow us to visualize and evaluate the travel behaviors. In particular, it was studied its relation with the accessibility to public transportation infrastructure and networks likewise the frequency of their journeys. We analyzed, in particular, the diffusion of originated trips directed to the most important campuses of Politecnico: Leonardo Citta Studi located in the east-central part of Milan and Bovisa located in the north-west border of Milan. Subsequently we proposed a variety of Transport Demand Policies (TDM) aiming the promotion of the public transportation instead of non-motorized mobility, shifting specifically the choice from the car (there are more than 80,000 journeys made by car in the academic year) promoting alternatives like train and regulate the use of cars with parking restrictions and carpooling programs. Finally we also perform calculations to figure out the estimated cost of (TDM) strategies implementation, considering different scenarios according to assumptions based in the state of art provided by the Città Studi Sustainable Campus project. Resumen: El contenido del presente trabajo se enfoca en la interpretación de los hábitos de transporte por parte de la población del Politécnico de Milán que afectan negativamente la movilidad sostenible. Se han diseñado estrategias y políticas con el objetivo de controlar estos hábitos. La metodología para identificar el problema se fundamenta en la interpretación desde el punto de vista territorial a partir de una encuesta desarrollada por el proyecto Città Studi Sustainable Campus en 2015. Esta encuesta ha recolectado información de la distribución modal por parte de la población del Politécnico de Milán (9,763 estudiantes y 2,185 trabajadores). Las principales herramientas utilizadas han sido los Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG) que permiten visualizar y evaluar los hábitos de transporte. Se ha estudiado la relación de los hábitos con la accesibilidad a transporte público y la frecuencia de los viajes a lo largo del periodo académico. Se ha analizado los viajes atraídos por los campuses principales del Politécnico de Milán: Leonardo Citta Studi ubicado en el área este-central de Milán y Bovisa, ubicado en el noroccidente de Milán. A partir del análisis se ha propuesto una serie de Políticas de Demanda de Transporte (TDM) que buscan promover el uso de transporte público, modificando principalmente el uso de vehículo particular (se tienen más de 80,000 viajes con automóvil a lo largo del año académico) tales como uso del tren, regulación en el uso de parqueaderos y programas de carpooling. Finalmente se ha estimado el costo de la implementación de las diferentes TDM al considerar diferentes escenarios a partir de estudios previos elaborados por el proyecto Città Studi Sustainable Campus.

With increased demand and high prices for minerals and metals in recent years, many resource rich developing countries see mining sector as vital to develop their economies. Colombia is one of these nations. Non-renewable natural resource wealth is seen as an opportunity to obtain economic benefits that can be transformed into increased wellbeing for citizens. However, mining often involves a high environmental impact and the risk of causing, or exacerbating social problems and conflicts in mining areas is significant. This study addresses the issue of ‘How then can mining contribute to sustainable development?’ in the Colombian context. This issue is critical – with 44% of the population in poverty, and the territory considered one of the most biodiverse in the world. Views obtained from interviews with representatives of stakeholder groups from government, industry and civil society and the content of national mining policy documents were compared with a selection of industry best practice guidelines in order to identify key issues for mining and sustainable development in the country. Best practice guidelines were principally drawn from the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Mineral, Metals and Sustainable Development policy framework and the Extractive Industries Value Chain approach. Eleven key issues were identified as important for informants: policy frameworks, institutional capacity, access to information, royalty and tax regimes, transparency, local socioeconomic development, stakeholder participation and responsibility, community trust and image, environmental performance, mine closure and illegal mining. The findings also suggest three principal gaps that need to be addressed with some priority. The focus of mining policies should be shifted from a principal focus on increased production towards sustainable development and poverty reduction objectives; better coordination between mining, environmental and national development policies and institutions towards sustainable development objectives is required; and improved technical and institutional capacity to provide an adequate assessment process and the information regarding whether the benefits from mining overcome its negative impacts ant national and local levels is needed.

Nowadays, across the world, politic and economic models have been challenged. As part of the global agenda; urban discussions need to reposition towards enriching social and economic debates. In Bogota, Processes of urbanization have been shaped within profound conditions of inequity, rural migration and violence; generating a city socially and spatially segregated. Nevertheless, since last two decades, Bogota has been engaged in a process of transition towards the construction of more equalitarian and sustainable city. In this context, how to set up the agenda for further development strategies in the city? The aim of this thesis is to bring some ideas and questions into the debate about the construction of future models of urban development for Bogota. From the discussions and research presented we can derive some key points to have in account in terms of policies, planning and spatial strategies, and socio-economic dimensions; which can help to frame proposals about how Bogota can explore alternative strategies of urban revitalization.  Starting from acknowledging the fact that the built city is the result of multiple spatial, social and economic conditions; the concept of “Systemic revitalization”, is framed in how to introduce new uses, users and spaces, able to synergize with the existing forces and thus be able to trigger the revitalization of urban areas. Contrary to masterplanning, this model of development encourages time-based processes and multiple initiatives, done progressively whether by typological transformation or by insertion of new typologies and uses within the existing fabric.

Physical activity promotion (PAP) has reached policy agendas worldwide due to the social and economic burden that non-communicable diseases have generated. Colombia is one of the countries that have taken the challenge of promoting healthy lifestyles in order to reduce this burden and in addition, take advantage of other benefits that promoting this healthy lifestyle brings. Although some research has been done on the field, no studies related to the local government contribution were found. The local government plays a crucial role in PAP, considering that it has a great influence on the physical and social environment of a city and consequently in the individual behavior of its citizens. Additionally, it has a great responsibility concerning public health, social and economic development and environmental sustainability, aspects that are related to PAP. The present research, aims to provide a general overview on the current state of PAP in the Municipal Sport Authorities (MSAs) of one department of Colombia. In this sense, it is important to highlight that the sport sector has had a major role in PAP in the country and the department. Hence, structured interviews were conducted among heads of the MSAs of the 14 municipalities of the department and development plans were analyzed. Using this data, two main aspects were studied in order to achieve the research aim: the current PAP interventions and the conditions to promote physical activity (PA) in the department. Results indicate that the current PAP interventions have both strengths and weaknesses. Among the most important aspects, it was noticed that PAP in Risaralda has neglected important environmental determinants for PA behavior. PAP has been oriented from an “anthropic” perspective (targeting the individual). However, this seems to have had a positive effect on PA levels in the department. Concerning the conditions to promote PA, there are important findings related to the knowledge and skills of policy-makers and the management process used to develop the interventions. Some of the weaknesses found in the interventions might be related to the conditions to develop them. Recommendations to MSAs and for further research are given.

This thesis comprises three essays on asset pricing on the stock and options markets. The …first essay …finds a positive relation between the slope of the volatility term structure and subsequent option returns. The second essay …finds a negative relation between realized skewness, extracted from high-frequency data, and stock returns. The third essay finds a negative relation between price jumps of intraday data and future stock returns.

The question addressed in this paper was whether a government, in a regime considered democratic, can legitimately curtail civil rights as a means of protecting public order and the sovereignty of the state. The second part of the question is what should be given priority when there is a tension between fundamental rights and the state’s duty to maintain public order. The case analyzed was the antiterrorism law passed in the Colombian Congress in December 2003. This law was one of the main strategies developed by Alvaro Uribe’s government on its first presidency period to fight terrorism. The purpose was to create a legal strategy to combat terrorism and to guarantee public order and the sovereignty of the state, which were constantly undermined by illegal armed groups. This case study reveals a tension between the government’s duty to maintain public order and individual rights – particularly the right to freedom, the right to privacy, and the right to habeas corpus. The tension in the antiterrorism law appears when the government limits first-rank rights as a means to combat acts of terrorism. In a country that faces an internal armed conflict that weakens democracy, the approval of the antiterrorism law gives too much authority to the government and jeopardizes fundamental rights and freedoms. Throughout the paper, the autor try to prove that the constraints on fundamental rights in such a scenario could result in an undermining of the constitutional regime and in the loss of democratic legitimacy.